UNISON, the UK’s largest union has expressed horror and outrage at the news that staff at the Colchester Hospital were bullied into falsifying data relating to the treatment of cancer patients.
The staff have since been praised by the CQC and police for blowing the whistle on what was going on at the hospital, after failing to get any action internally from senior management at the Trust.
Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Health said:
“We cannot allow any patients, particularly those suffering from a life threatening illness like cancer, to be treated so appallingly. We owe it to them, to the relatives of those who have died, and to staff, to make sure there is a very full and thorough investigation into the sequence of events at Colchester Hospital.
“Our members took a brave step by reporting to the CQC that they were being bullied and harassed by senior managers to falsify records relating to cancer patients. They raised their concerns repeatedly and in e-mails to senior managers, right up to the chief executive, but they were ignored.
“The NHS needs to promote an honest and open culture. UNISON has been encouraging and training members to blow the whistle on any practice that might endanger patients or interfere with their treatment. I am pleased that our members in Colchester did just that.”
